An Ideal Summer

With the season end fast approaching we start to wonder what we might need to take the next step and get into the Champions League.

If it wasn't for our poor run towards the start of the season we may of actually made it this year suggesting that we are not so far away. I feel that we could make massive leaps forward if we were to bring Champions League football to Goodison Park and really build our team, but failure could mean losing some serious assets.

To start with we need to build on this season and to do so we will want to keep our best players. The two main doubts are Barkley and Lukaku.

With Lukaku, he has said he won't sign a new contract for now, but his existing one has two years on it and he should be kept for another year to see if we can progress and if we do attain Champions League would he then reconsider. He has said he wants to create history and what better way.

Barkley has less time on his contract and has apparently been told to sign or be sold. A possible solution is to offer a one year extension so to have the same as Lukaku as Champions League is so important to both players, let's see if they can get us there!

Having tied these players down, we would then need to build a stronger squad. We had a decent clear out in January and can add at least Kone to the vacating list in the summer and need as much quality as possible.

I think we'll need a goalkeeper, backup Left and right backs, a centre back maybe two, a quality striker and maybe a few creative midfielders/wingers. So possibly about eight signings.

Being someone who reads transfer gossip and prematurely gets excited, I would be over the moon to see these players that have already been linked to Everton at some point.

Although I can't see us splashing out in excess of £180m, I do believe these are all quality players and would be very happy to see them in an Everton shirt next season.

I am feeling very optimistic at the moment and as long as we maintain what we already have, including the manager, and can add a few quality signings we should be able to provide a strong challenge for the Champions League places.